Meeting Minutes - 13th January 2022

Here are the minutes from our last meeting.

Remember all parents/guardians with a child at the school are a member of the PTA and so all are welcome to our meetings to find out more. You don't have to be a Committee member to join us!

Our next meeting is Thursday 3rd March at 8pm - hopefully in the pub - we hope to see you there!

PTA MEETING

CLAREMONT PRIMARY SCHOOL PTA

PTA MEETING VIA ZOOM

13 January 2022

8.00pm

Seven members constitute a quorum. See Table 1 at the end of report for full attendance and voting record.

APOLOGIES: Sami Fotoohi

1. Intro/Update - CS

a. Nikki Webb – CS welcomed Nikki to the meeting. Nikki leads our second hand uniform sales.

b. CS thanked everyone for a successful first winter term. Last terms saw fundraising via various activities inc. Christmas cards, trees, wreath making, return of cinema club, second hand uniform sale. In total we raised ~£4k after costs (events only). Specific thanks given to Sam Walker and Dominic Coulson for cinema club, the wonderful Christmas team (you know who you are!), Nikki Webb, Niloufer for social media, shed helpers who installed the new PTA storage unit, and Ami Parker & Natalie Jolliffe for facilitating and running the wreath making.

2. Actions from Last Meeting (S’OM)

- a. Covenant – BD very keen to remain involved in this; no update but he will continue to research when he gets the opportunity.

b. Storage Unit – NW advised that now this is installed it needs kitting out. We have lots of rails but need more plastic stackable boxes to make everything easier to label and store. Might need shelves. NW requested a vote for £90 for plastic boxes needed, unanimous approval received (please refer Table 1 for voting record).

c. PTA signage. NJ confirm that they are on metal poles, and that our order is all agreed with the company. The school is going to place the order as they also have a signage requirement. Post Meeting Note: the company we were going to use has stopped trading, the school is now seeking new quotes.

d. Engagement with other school PTA’s – BD going through all the local info online; found a couple of schools similar to Claremont from a size perspective. Will collate learnings and share, inc. what corporate sponsors pay for sponsorship,

e. Staff band for Clarefest – DC was going to ask if there was a staff band that would like to participate in Clarefest – Claudine agreed to chase.

3. Teacher Rep resignation & vacancy –CS

Dominic Coulson resigned just before Christmas, it’s a great loss to the PTA and we pass on our huge thanks for his contribution to the PTA over the years. SS has issued a comms note to the staff community, shared in teacher meeting and sharing with Teaching Partner’s tomorrow. Hopefully this will generate some interest.

4. Financial update & achievements - SF / NJ

CS now has access to bank accounts, CS now gets accounts to home address. SF & NJ still not set up yet, so need to chase. As of 17 December 2021 there was £26,274.07 in the bank account, and ~£800 in PayPal. PTA spent ~£6.5k in the winter term on the new storage unit, fully paying for the Y4-6 theatre trip, Christmas hats and subsidising the leavers yearbook. £15k request from the school for IT is expected later in the year and there may be funding requested by the school for the outdoor classroom. NJ advised that the £100 requested for paint for the Storage Unit was not currently needed to be spent as it will remain green for now although the school may request us to paint it at a later date.

5. Events / Fundraising – CS presented Event Schedule slide 2021-22 (from AGM).

a. Scavenger Hunt – CS

Kate Bourne has kindly agreed to organise this on 20th March, it will be a virtual event like last year. It will be £10 per entry cost.

b. Disco - CC

We usually do one in February and one in May, and we would like to do one of these before Easter. Usually do Year groups 1&2, 3&4, 5&6. SS suggested that we pencil one in anticipating a shift in Covid-19 guidance. Proposed that we do Years 5&6 before Easter and Year 3&4 after Easter, but don’t advertise Year 3&4 just in case, and then Year 5&6 could be run on second date in the event of cancellation. Proposed Friday 25th March, straight after school, ~3.40pm after kids get changed, possibly 5pm pick up. Ticket includes drink & snack. Need at least 8 volunteers to run the disco, will add this to ticketing process. £5 per ticket.

Action: CC to progress, in same format as previous. Agreed to ask in the PTA whether there is a parent DJ to save the costs.

c. Easter update – LP

Egg Hunt is going to be either Thurs 31st March or Friday 1st April, LP to confirm. Liaising with EB with what happened last year. Run same as last year in lockdown format. Easter bunny is booked. LP will work out costs and request funding to purchase all the eggs. More volunteers would be better to help with egg distribution, rather than TP’s this year. Allocate eggs to class and then fill and hide the baskets. (Wet weather back up day to be considered?). Year 5/6 could help Year R/1, and two year groups go out at the same time. Children with allergies bring their own in. £4 per child as a working assumption.

Action: LP to progress Easter event.

Action: Corporate Social Responsibility days & Corporate matching– agreed we should publicise in the next email/blog; parents employers may offer this, encourage parents to investigate as they may be able to use days for assisting Event(s) set up.

Action: S’OM to do a first draft.

d. Parent Social - NJ

NJ proposed doing another wreath making/flower arranging event. Committee agreed, and we agreed Friday 11th March for Spring wreath making, with alcohol sales this time as the licence covers Friday nights. CC/NJ to ask Kate Bourne, who may know someone that could help organise as Ami Parker not available this time.

Action: NJ will check school diary for hall availability for spring wreath making.

e. Quiz - CS

CS advised that we have a parent available to run it but would need a facilitator/lead/organiser. We agreed that as there are now a few events before Easter we would discuss again after Easter.

f. Clarefest update – EB

21st May in the diary. Need to check that Sami will be around, as he will need to manage the floats and takings on the date. EB asked whether our alcohol licence would enable us to pre-sell alcohol bundles at the same time as selling tickets online. S’OM to check with Richard O’Malley (current Licensee). Clarefest team looking into card payment options. (POS system). Sami was going to look into this so EB to liaise with him.

Action: EB to liaise with SF re. Clarefest.

Action: S’OM to check licence provisions re pre-selling alcohol.

g. Cinema Club – SW

SW is happy to organise another one. Looking at early May. There are ~6-8 benches in the lodge but that’s all, it was tricky to get all the chairs into the hall. Can the children sit on the floor? Look to do regularly.

Action: SW to consider format, progress and dates.

h. Summer Fete - CS

Did a call out for volunteers recently, had some interest to help. Agreed that the sub-committee would come up with a high level plan and then delegate per action / workstream. CC happy to help (but not lead) as she has lots of experience. Lots of help needed on the day, set up, moving tables, gazebos etc (8am-6pm). (Don’t have the tables and benches that we’ve used before so this needs to be considered). BD to be there on the day for help. Purchases need to be done by Committee members. LP to help before and during the day. Provisional date 25th June proposed. Batchelor Monkhouse happy to sponsor Clarefest and Fete again this year, but need to agree how much.

Action: CS to discuss and confirm proposed summer fete date with school office.

Action: CS/ST to discuss with EB re synergies with Clarefest. ST/CS to come up with a high level plan and workstreams / actions that could be delegated.

Action: Date for sub-committee agreed: Thursday 27th January meeting. CC, EB, CS, NJ, LP. CS to see if others want to join this meeting.

Action: SO’M to review documentation on Dropbox and bring to sub-committee meeting.

Action: EB to get in touch with the old previous Clarefest team to find out what they had done. Plastic cups etc, logo, etc etc. Kegs of beer.

6. Licence Conditions - reminder – S O’M

S O’M provided a reminder of what our Licence covers for events (Live music Recorded music Sale or Supply of Alcohol)

Times the licence authorises the carrying out of licensable activities:

· Live music (Outdoors) Saturday and Sunday 11:00 - 21:00

· Recorded music (Outdoors) Saturday and Sunday 11:00 - 21:00

· Sale or Supply of Alcohol Friday, Saturday and Sunday 12:00 - 23:59

7. AOB

a. We agreed to publish Minutes of the PTA meetings for information and transparency.

8. Next Meeting Date – Thursday 3rd March 8pm. Do voting requests for Clarefest and Easter ex-committee prior to next meeting.

Table 1 - RECORD OF ATTENDANCE & VOTING:

COMMITTEE MEMBER

Attendance

Vote – Plastic boxes for Storage Unit (£90)

1. Claire Summers (CS)

Y

Y

2. Natalie Jolliffe (NJ)

Y

Y

3. Sara O’Malley (SO’M)

Y

Y

4. Sami Fotoohi (SF)

N

n/a

5. Emma Butterworth (EB)

Y

Y

6. Claudine Cerrini (CC)

Y

Y

7. Sarah Seddon

Y

Y

8. Lucy Prior (LP)

Y

Y

9. Sam Walker (SW)

Y

Y

10. Ben Dryland (BD)

Y

Y

TOTAL

9

9